Oct 8, 2015, 4:15 PM

Russia, US outline coordination in Syria

Russia, US outline coordination in Syria

MOSCOW, Oct. 08 (MNA) - The spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said that military experts from his country and the United States outlined on Wednesday some technical details still remaining before the two powers can coordinate actions in Syria.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow reacted to the request of the Pentagon and analyzed without delay a proposal from the Americans on the coordination of operations against the terrorist group ISIL in Syria, according to the spokesman.

Konashenkov stressed that the initiative might be accepted for implementation, all is left is 'to clarify some technical details', which according to him, officials from both sides are still debating.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained in Paris to his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, that the Kremlin's support to the offensive of the Syrian army tries to preserve the country's territorial integrity.

The Russian leader said that during the operation conducted at the request of Syria and within the norms of international law, Moscow is willing to coordinate the information and continue the search for a settlement of the conflict with all interested parties.

The statesman stressed that the air strikes are directed against the ISIL, the al-Nusra Front (linked to Al Qaeda) and other groups, according to the presidential spokesman, Dmitri Peskov.

In contrast to Russia's position, the head of the White House, Barack Obama, said in a news conference that Washington will continue to support what he called 'opposition groups against the government' because he believes that "the problem here is al-Assad."

US influential figures like Senator Chris Murphy criticized this position with the argument that this support would end in 'unwitting help' to terrorist formations like Al Qaeda.

"I regret that my fears have become reality", told Murphy to the Russian news agency Novosti.

News media reported that the first detachment of about 50 soldiers of the US-trained so-called Syrian opposition was deployed in July by the forces of the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, acknowledged in September that out the five thousand troops included in its preparation plan to topple al-Assad at a cost of $500 million, only four or five are fighting in Syria.

For his part, the President of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Senate, Konstantin Kosachov, said that the US-led coalition should reflect and choose at an early date whether it combats the Syrian President or the terrorist groups.

sus/l2p/mem/jpm

PL-17/MNA

News ID 110833

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